CL65 crew had forward cockpit windshield shatter at FL410.

Attributes
ACN	483466
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : jan.vortac
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl single value : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	483466
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While cruising over mississippi at FL410 wbound, it became necessary to descend to FL390 due to traffic in the memphis center airspace. After our leveling off at this new altitude, the captain's windshield shattered! This is the second time I have had this windshield shatter on me within the first 90 seconds after leveling at a lower altitude. It would appear to me that the canada air regional jet has a structural problem with the windshields of these aircraft. These windshields have shattered in flight, and on the ground while sitting at the gate area. This is a windshield that has three layers of glass. The core is the portion of the window that has shattered on my two flights. This event took place 40NM east of jackson VOR, at FL390. An emergency was declared. Thirteen minutes later my flight was in the chocks at jackson international airport, in jackson, mississippi. The outside air temperature at the time was -62 degrees celsius. The indicated speed after level off was still .77 mach. The windshield shattered into countless 4 inch long shards of glass. The windshield heat was selected on while in the chocks, according to our company before start checklist, and was still on in flight at the time the windshield shattered. Emergency declared with memphis center at xa:35. In callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicates that he has been flying the aircraft for about 1 1/2 years. In that time he has had 2 shattered windshields. The last time maintenance indicated that 2 of the 3 structural members had failed. The middle pane shattered and the outer pane was cracked. Had the remaining inner pane failed the window would have exposed the crew to the outside, with the resulting loss of the aircraft. The reporter claims that the aircraft manufacturer and the window manufacturer blame each other for the failed windshields. Little, if any, progress is being made to finding a fix. The pilot knows of other incidents with failed windows on the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD FORWARD COCKPIT WINDSHIELD SHATTER AT FL410.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING OVER MISSISSIPPI AT FL410 WBOUND, IT BECAME NECESSARY TO DESCEND TO FL390 DUE TO TRAFFIC IN THE MEMPHIS CENTER AIRSPACE. AFTER OUR LEVELING OFF AT THIS NEW ALTITUDE, THE CAPTAIN'S WINDSHIELD SHATTERED! THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD THIS WINDSHIELD SHATTER ON ME WITHIN THE FIRST 90 SECONDS AFTER LEVELING AT A LOWER ALTITUDE. IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT THE CANADA AIR REGIONAL JET HAS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELDS OF THESE ACFT. THESE WINDSHIELDS HAVE SHATTERED IN FLIGHT, AND ON THE GND WHILE SITTING AT THE GATE AREA. THIS IS A WINDSHIELD THAT HAS THREE LAYERS OF GLASS. THE CORE IS THE PORTION OF THE WINDOW THAT HAS SHATTERED ON MY TWO FLIGHTS. THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE 40NM E OF JACKSON VOR, AT FL390. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED. THIRTEEN MINUTES LATER MY FLIGHT WAS IN THE CHOCKS AT JACKSON INTERNATIONAL ARPT, IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS -62 DEGREES CELSIUS. THE INDICATED SPEED AFTER LEVEL OFF WAS STILL .77 MACH. THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED INTO COUNTLESS 4 INCH LONG SHARDS OF GLASS. THE WINDSHIELD HEAT WAS SELECTED ON WHILE IN THE CHOCKS, ACCORDING TO OUR COMPANY BEFORE START CHECKLIST, AND WAS STILL ON IN FLIGHT AT THE TIME THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. EMERGENCY DECLARED WITH MEMPHIS CENTER AT XA:35. IN CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER INDICATES THAT HE HAS BEEN FLYING THE ACFT FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 YEARS. IN THAT TIME HE HAS HAD 2 SHATTERED WINDSHIELDS. THE LAST TIME MAINT INDICATED THAT 2 OF THE 3 STRUCTURAL MEMBERS HAD FAILED. THE MIDDLE PANE SHATTERED AND THE OUTER PANE WAS CRACKED. HAD THE REMAINING INNER PANE FAILED THE WINDOW WOULD HAVE EXPOSED THE CREW TO THE OUTSIDE, WITH THE RESULTING LOSS OF THE ACFT. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THE ACFT MANUFACTURER AND THE WINDOW MANUFACTURER BLAME EACH OTHER FOR THE FAILED WINDSHIELDS. LITTLE, IF ANY, PROGRESS IS BEING MADE TO FINDING A FIX. THE PLT KNOWS OF OTHER INCIDENTS WITH FAILED WINDOWS ON THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.